Storage device for laboratory samples having storage racks and a shaker

Abstract

The invention provides a storage device with storage racks and a shaker where the undesired horizontal oscillations of the upper ends of the storage racks are small. The storage device for laboratory samples includes a shaker drive, a rack carrier being driven by said shaker drive for performing a shaking motion with horizontal component, at least one storage rack arranged on the rack carrier, which storage rack comprises vertical side walls, each side wall having a plurality of ledges arranged vertically above each other and forming storage locations for a plurality of laboratory samples on top of each other, and a counterweight assembly connected to an upper end section of the storage rack and being driven to exert a force opposite to the shaking motion in order to counteract an oscillation of the upper end section of the storage rack.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A storage device for laboratory samples comprising
 a shaker drive, 
 a rack carrier being driven by said shaker drive for performing a shaking motion with horizontal component, 
 at least one storage rack arranged on the rack carrier, which storage rack comprises vertical side walls, each side wall having a plurality of ledges arranged vertically above each other and forming storage locations for a plurality of laboratory samples on top of each other, and 
 a counterweight assembly connected to an upper end section of the storage rack and being driven to exert a force opposite to the shaking motion in order to counteract an oscillation of the upper end section of the storage rack. 
 
     
     
       2. The storage device of  claim 1  wherein the counterweight assembly comprises a moving part driven to move opposite to the shaking motion. 
     
     
       3. The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein the moving part comprises a vertically displaceable counterweight. 
     
     
       4. The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein said moving part is moveable between an upper and an lower support, wherein the upper support is rigidly connected to the upper end section of the of the storage rack. 
     
     
       5. The storage device of  claim 4 , further comprising rotating tables mounted to the upper and lower supports for eccentrically mounting said moving part. 
     
     
       6. The storage device of  claim 5 , further comprising an eccentric member, wherein said rack carrier is mounted to said eccentric member and wherein the rotating table and the eccentric member are driven synchronously and with equal rotational speed. 
     
     
       7. The storage device of  claim 6 , further comprising a driving belt for commonly driving said eccentric member and said rotating table. 
     
     
       8. The storage device of  claim 4  wherein the upper support comprises a strut connected to the upper end section of the storage rack. 
     
     
       9. The storage device of  claim 4 , comprising at least two storage racks, wherein the counterweight assembly is arranged between the storage racks. 
     
     
       10. The storage device of  claim 9 , wherein the upper support comprises a strut connected to the upper end sections of all storage racks. 
     
     
       11. The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein a mass of the moving part multiplied by an amplitude of motion of the moving part corresponds substantially to a mass of the storage rack or storage racks and the rack carrier multiplied by an amplitude of motion of the rack carrier. 
     
     
       12. The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein an amplitude of motion of the moving part is larger than an amplitude of motion of the rack carrier. 
     
     
       13. The storage device of  claim 1  wherein the counterweight assembly extends through an opening or recess of the rack carrier. 
     
     
       14. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the counterweight assembly comprises a counterweight carrier extending from a height of said rack carrier to a height of the upper end section. 
     
     
       15. The storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the counterweight carrier is driven to an oscillating motion in opposite phase to the shaking motion. 
     
     
       16. The storage device of  claim 15 , further comprising a counterweight mounted on the counterweight carrier arranged between the height of the rack carrier and the height of the upper end section. 
     
     
       17. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the shaker drive shakes the rack carrier and the storage rack as a unit such that all of the storage locations are shaken in the same directions at the same time. 
     
     
       18. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the storage racks are adapted to receive micro titer plates. 
     
     
       19. The storage device of  claim 1 , comprising several storage racks and operable to shake only a first set of said storage racks while a second set of said storage racks remains at rest. 
     
     
       20. The storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a carousel carrying a plurality of said storage racks and 
 a rotational drive for rotating the carousel about a vertical axis. 
 
     
     
       21. A climate controlled cabinet comprising the storage device of  claim 1 .